Claire rolled over in her sleep, sheets tangled between her thighs as she lay on her stomach. Every inch of her felt relaxed, stretched, as if she’d spent the night under the careful ministrations of a seasoned masseuse. It took her several long minutes to come to her senses, realizing that she was completely –something she tried to be as infrequently as possible–and that Daniel wasn’t there beside her. Daniel. The thought of him alone was enough to cause her to stir, memories of the last twenty-four hours filling her mind until she was smiling like an idiot and burying her face in a pillow that still smelled like him. How could one person bring you so much joy? One person who, because of your own reservations and insecurities, you would have overlooked had they not barged their way into your life, determined to stay. Getting up, she pulled on her bathrobe and tightened the belt around her waist. Despite the pleasant mood he’d left her in, she couldn’t ignore the doubt that flashed across her mind. Just where was he? Had he left during the night? Did he regret what they’d done? She wrestled with her disparaging thoughts as she left her bedroom, every step she took allowing her emotions to swell and spread until she was almost drowning in them. Had she done something wrong? Was he so disgusted with himself that he’d fled the scene the moment she was asleep? When she rounded the corner into the kitchen, she was almost floored by the sight of orchids blooming in a tall vase on the counter. She approached it slowly, the small card that read Love, Daniel, before nearly bursting into tears. She felt foolish, so stupid that her cheeks grew hot and her chest seized. She could have smacked herself for being such an idiot. Not only had he just confessed his love for her and spent the night showing her just how much he meant it, but he’d told her a secret that was so powerful it could quite possibly get him killed. If he could trust her with something that important, the least she could do was believe him when he told her he cared about her. He wouldn’t have just run out on her, but that didn’t mean that something wasn’t wrong. Just as she reached for the phone to give him a call, the sound of fabric shifting behind her caught her attention.

    “Daniel?” she asked softly, turning to stare up at him. He was showered and fully dressed in yesterday’s attire, his hair still damp and dripping on the shoulders of his jacket. He smirked down at her.

    “Good morning. I didn’t wake you, did I?” he asked. He looked tense, from the tautness of his shoulders to his forced smile. His voice was as stiff as the rest of him, rife with mixed emotions she couldn’t detangle. He was gritting his teeth, staving off his anger and pretending that everything was fine for her sake. Even though it clearly was not.

    “No. It’s about time for my alarm to go off anyway. Or, have you forgotten that we both still have school today?” 

    “How could I? So long as you’re there I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

    “Are you alright?” she asked, wrapping her arms around herself as she watched him nod his head, even before she could finish asking the question. She wanted so badly to go over to him, to wrap him up in her arms and tell him that, whatever it was, everything was going to be okay. But his aggravation gave her pause. Was it really her place to tell him that? Especially now that she knew the possibilities he faced? Would he really be okay? 

    “I’m fine. I just needed to get out of that bed before I blew off school and spent the rest of the day inside of you. Do you have any idea how enticing you are when you’re asleep? It takes every ounce of strength I possess to keep my hands off of you.”

    “Then, why do you? Why do you struggle so hard to refrain?”

    “Because I want your permission. I want you to enjoy it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be worth it,” he said. Claire smiled to herself, crossing the room and laying her head against his chest. She couldn’t help herself. It was cliche, but in that moment, she’d never felt so open and close to him. She felt clingy and comfortable, and his uncanny ability to always know the right thing to say wasn’t exactly helping. She wrapped her arms around his waist, molding herself against him. He was solid. And warm. And he smelled like a mixture of his cologne and her shampoo. It was a sense of heaven she knew was fleeting. “Now that’s what I call a good morning,” he purred and she chuckled. 

    “Well, it’s the least I can do. Now, are you going to tell me what’s actually going on, or are you going to pretend that I haven’t grown extremely good at reading you?”

    “Have you, now? I wasn’t aware,” he said, hissing when she flattened her hands on the small of his back. “You really must not want to go to work today.”

    “Talk to me, Daniel. Please?” she asked and he sighed. Several seconds ticked by until his phone beeping broke the silence between them. Not waiting for him to answer it, she reached and pulled it out of his hand. The screen lit up with an image of five Korean men in black suits and sunglasses exiting an airplane hanger. “Is this Philadelphia International?”

    “I’m not sure. My uncle is checking it out now.”

    “If it is, that’s only a couple miles from here.”

    “I’m aware.”

    “What are you going to do?”

    “Make love to you on the counter?” he asked, sighing when she smacked him on the arm.

    “I’m being serious right now, Daniel. This is bad. These men could be here to kill you.”

    “I doubt they want me dead. They would have just sniped me by now and gotten it over with if they did,” he said. He leaned back just far enough to stare down at her. “I don’t want you worrying about any of this, Claire.”

    “How could I not? The man I love just admitted that he’s a freaking psychic and that there are people after him. I’m already worrying. I just wish there was more I could do to help you.” 

    “You’re already doing enough.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Just by standing here. Existing. Being safe. That’s all I need from you. God knows if something happened to you because of me…I’d lose my freaking mind.”

    “So, that’s a no on a training montage that turns me into a ninja?” she asked. He smiled wryly. 

    “You know, sometimes I have trouble believing you’re real.”

    “The same could be said for you. A gorgeous law student with fantastical mental abilities and the body of a Greek statue who wants nothing more than to spend his free time in my presence? Admit it. I’m in a coma right now and my grandfather has already pulled the plug. Because there’s no way in hell this is anything more than a dream,” she said. Daniel chuckled, pressing his lips to the top of her head as he tightened his arms around her. 

    “This has been a dream come true for me too, Claire.” One he was terrified would soon turn into a nightmare. Following his father’s advice and running back to Korea was starting to actually look like a good idea. Running period seemed about as good an option as any. But, the more he thought about having to leave her behind, the harder the decision became. He wanted to stay and fight, to finally confront those s once and for all but, he knew that so long as she was attached to him she would be in danger. He could remember the very beginning, when he first started to notice how he felt for her. He knew that seeking a relationship with this woman was selfish because his life had never truly been his own. And now he would have to deal with the consequences of his choice to love her. Those consequences depended on a single decision he’d yet to make. What was he going to do? He couldn’t just uproot her life, kidnap her and whisk her away to some foreign land. That wasn’t fair to her. And leaving her behind was completely out of the question. He ran countless scenarios through his head and none of them seemed to work out in his favor. What if he lost her? What if they took her instead? What if he never saw her again?

    “I don’t like that crease between your brows,” she said, smoothing out the wrinkle in his forehead with her thumb. “I don’t think I’ve ever